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Source: State will pledge $20 mil to South Park Bridge

Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to announce today a $20 million contribution from the state to the South Park Bridge replacement project, according to a source in state government. Gregoire will join King County Executive Dow Constantine and other elected officials for an announcement at 3 p.m. near the bridge.

The Seattle Times reported the amount earlier today. My source says the $20 million figure is accurate.

That follows recent announcements from the King County Council, which voted to authorize the sale of $31 million in bonds for the project. The Seattle City Council has pledged $15 million and the Port of Seattle is considering an offer of $5 million, since the bridge is a freight route.

King County needs about $130 million to build a replacement for the aging bridge, which is slated for closure next Wednesday. Officials hope by having local funding package in place, the project will be more competitive for federal money.Click here for more background information.

Even with funding in place, it could take another two to three years to build a new bridge. The bridge carries 20,000 vehicles per day across the Duwamish River and is a main connection to South Park’s business district.

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